Trouble with note #56- low volume...

[goldphinga]

I'm tearing my hair out with one particular not on my Rhodes. Note #56. The 2nd E above middle C.
I've changed the hammer tip, tine twice, grommets and even different springs on the tine and grommets and I can't get decent attack or volume out if this note in particular. It's weirding me out!! The pickup checks out when tapped with a screwdriver too but not checked it with a voltmeter. Damper is operating correctly as well.

Any ideas? Could the tone bar be bad? As an aside note 57 sounds a little more dead as well so maybe there's an issue at this point in the keyboard. Any ideas what might be going on?

[The Real MC]

If you hold down the sustain pedal, you can use the handle of a screwdriver to strike the resonator bar and set the tine in motion.

Try this on the problem tine, and its neighbors.  You can also test with the harp swung open, as if you were tuning it.

If all vibrate OK, then the tine is good and something is wrong with the hammer system.  It might be bouncing and double-striking the tine which was a known problem.  It might need backchecks.

If the problem tine still doesn't vibrate, then test again with the harp swung open.  If no better then something is wrong with the pickup otherwise it is the damper.    Sometimes the bridle strap isn't pulling the damper all the way, I've seen those straps slip out of their slot - not hard to reset.  The pickups with white tape were known to be flaky.  You could try swapping pickups to see if the problem follows the pickup.

[pianotuner steveo]

Just as a test, try swapping the pickup with a known working one to see if anything changes. I really doubt the tone bar can affect the volume....

[Ben Bove]

A video might help with this one... similar to Steveo, ou might want to swap neighboring tone assemblies - pull 55 and 56 out and swap them - adjust the pickups to accomodate the different tine lengths.  See if a note you see is good (55) works with the pickup / damper / hammer on 56.  Real MC makes a point about swinging the harp up - if you pluck the note and it sounds good, then it has something to do with hammer or damper rather than pickup.  Try to narrow down and eliminate each variable

[goldphinga]

Thanks guys ill try all your tips over the weekend and report back!
Much appreciated.

[David Ell]

If all else fails you could find a tech in your area. It shouldn't be too hard of a fix.

[mvanmanen]

I had a guitar amp that sounded great for my whole rhodes sparing a few notes which sounded "dead" relative to their neighbors.
just throwing it out there as something else to try,
Michael

[goldphinga]

Ok guys this note is still haunting me. I've changed the tine, hammer tip, tweaked the damper and its still lacking attack and punch. I've noticed that note 57 also exhibits similar characteristics too. But it's volume is good. I'm wondering if there's something going on that's not right in the keybed or keybed frame ( ie a dip or something) that's causing weak tone in that area. Further to this- the only thing I haven't checked out is the pickup on a volt meter but when I tap it with a screwdriver it sounds as loud as its neighbours. Weird...ps I changed the grommets, screws and springs. No difference!

[Ben Bove]

As a random question, are you listening to this through an amp, or through headphones?  Sometimes amps or speakers don't react well at certain frequencies - does it sound the same through a pair of headphones?

A video would also be great

[goldphinga]

Ill post some audio when i get a mo. Ps, the weakness in sound is through all devices...amp, speakers, phones...

[David Ell]

Could be a bad pic up downstream in the group. Check all pic ups in it's own group. If all else fails, take it to a tech. No need to pull your hair out.

[goldphinga]

Ok, im getting somewhere..it seems that there was a slight bend in the keybed frame under the action rail causing a smaller gap between the wood frame around the notes 56 to 61 than along the rest of the frame. I wedged an old credit card between the frame and base to open up the gap to the same as the rest of the piano and now it seems to be a lot better...unless im imagining it but i dont think i am! This could be the cause then! Anyone else run into this and solved it by shimming? I think i saw VV do this to one of Donald Fagens Rhodes that exhibited a similar issue come to think of it!

[David Ell]

Action rail or balance rail?   

[goldphinga]

Action rail or balance rail?   
[/quote

Action rail right at the point of note #56 to around note #61. A slight dip in the frame directly under the metal action rail.

[David Ell]

Action rail or balance rail?   
[/quote

Action rail right at the point of note #56 to around note #61. A slight dip in the frame directly under the metal action rail.

You were probably imagining things -:) unless you are confusing the balanced rail and action rail.

[goldphinga]

Action rail or balance rail?   
[/quote

Action rail right at the point of note #56 to around note #61. A slight dip in the frame directly under the metal action rail.

You were probably imagining things -:) unless you are confusing the balanced rail and action rail.

Nope not imagining it. Erm- it's lets say not a mk1 or 2 as it has a totally different case and keybed.